Method of and apparatus for making roofing



June 6, 1933. L. KxRscHBRAUN METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ROOFING Filed Aug. l, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY June 6, 1 933. L. KlRscHBRAUN 1,912,986

METHOD OF AND A-PPARTUS FOR MAKING ROOFING Filed Aug. l, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY Patented June 6, 1933 UNITED STATES PATENT oFFicE LESTER KIBSCHBBAUN, OF LEONIA, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOB, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS,

TO THE PATENT AND LICENSING CORPORATION, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A

CORPORATION F MASSACHUSETTS 'METHOD OF AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING ROOFING Application iled Auguit l, 1929. Serial No. 382,632.

This invention relates to the manufacture of composition roofing and is particularly concerned with the method of and apparatus for treating precut rooin elements to supply the lower or body portlon thereof, which is intended to be exposed in use, with a layer of Water and weatherproof coating material, within which may be imbedded granular or comminuted mineral surfacing material.y

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus whereby the precut elements may be supplied withthe coating material on the desired portions thereof while the elements are supported in position to permit the coating material to be rapidly applied thereto to enable the coating material to drain toward and over the lower or butt edge of the elements and accumulate over the portions which are to be exposed in use in a tapered layer increasing gradually in thickness towards the butt edge.

Anothery object of the invention is to provide means for thus coating the desired portions of the elements while the latter are suspended in substantially vertical position, and for thereafter arranging'the elements in a substantially horizontal position and in partially overlapped relation one to another, in which position the granular or comminuted surfacing material is applied to the coated areas. This feature of the invention I have found to be very advantageous from a manufacturing standpoint in the productin of roofing elements of the general type referred to in my previously issued Patent No. 1,612,- 776. The method and apparatus forming the subject matter of my present invention is designed particularly for rapidly and economically handling preeut elements for the purpose of coating the exposed surface and edges thereof with waterproofing material and surfacing said coating with granular mineral material or the like.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for carrying on the surfacing 0peration with the elements held in the aforesaid horizontal and partially overlapped position by the mechanism from which they are suspended during the preceding coating op-- 50 eration whereby to retain positive control of the elements durin the surfacing operation as well as durin t e coating o eration.

.In the embo iment of the invention, as will be more fully described hereinafter, the elements are supported from an endless conveyor which carries them for a portion of its travel in a substantially vertical but swingable position during which time the coating material is appled to the desired portions of the elements, the arrangement of the conveyor and the supporting mechanism thereon belng such that for a portion of the travel of the conveyor, following the point at which the coating material is applied, the elements will be positioned substantially horizontall and 1n partlally overlapped relation, in whic position the mineral surfacing material is applied to the coated areas.

The rincipleof my invention as thus briefly' 'escr1bed, may also be applied to the production of felt base shingles formed with a layer of bulking material to provide increased thickness and strength, such for example, as small bits or fragments of scrap prepared roofing affixed to the exposed face roofing elements and over which is applied a layer of waterproofed coating material surfaced in the usual manner. i

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a Vview in side elevation of mechanism for carrying out the invention,

Figure 2 is a similar view illustrating conventionallymechanism for ada ting the invention to the producten of roo ng elements formed with an additional bulking material,

Figure 3 illustrates the elements at various stages of the procedure depicted in Figure 2, an

Figure 4 is a detail, in perspective, of part of the mechanism.

-The elements to be treated in accordance wlth my invention may comprise shingles or shingle strips of the iexible type, such as those made of a felted fibrous base saturatedand coated with asphalt and surfaced with mineral grit, or theyV may comprise shingle elements of more or less rigid construction such as wooden shingles and the like, cut .and shaped to desired form and dimensions.

Referring first to Figure 1, I provide an tically downward of endless conveyor belt or chain 20, passing around pulleys 21, 22, supported on suitable framework 23, one or both of these pulleys being driven from any convenient source of power. This conveyor belt or chain is provided with means for supporting a series of the elements in spaced relation one'to another and as shown, this supporting means preferably comprises brackets 24 fixed to the conveyor belt at the marginal edges thereof and formin loose bearings for horizontal shafts 24a. ring pressed clamping fingers 26 are carried hy the shafts and arranged in spaced pairs the fingers 26a of each pair being dispose in opposition to the other fingers 26?) of each pair. The fingers 26a are fixed to the shaft 24a, whereas the fingers 2611 are mounted loosely thereon, and coiled springs 260 having one end thereof fixed to the brackets 24 bear upon the outer faces of the clamping fingers 1n each pair whereb to urge them normally to a position in w ich they are adapted to grip the elements inserted therebetween along the upper edge of the elements. At one end of one of each shaft 24a, there' is fixed a weighted lever 27 for Va pur as will presently appear.

The roo g elements to be treated and indicated in the drawin by the letter R, are insorted between the c amping fingers of the supporting mechanism at any convenient pomt after the latter pass beyond the pulley 21 so that the elements are suspended verthe belt and in. swingable position, by virtue of the loose mounting of the shafts 24a, in a continuous series,

so that in the progressive forward movement of the belt the elements will be brought into proper relation with the mechanism for applylng the coating material thereto. The latter may be applied to the elements in any convenient way, and as shown on the drawings the coating device comprises a bath or tank of coating material 30 such as molten blown asphalt of about 220 F. melting point, this asphalt being usually maintained in the bath at about 400 F., in order to impart the desired fluidity thereto. A coating roll 31, mounted for rotation in the bath 30, picks up a layer of the coating material from the bath and transfers the same to the elements as the latter pass over the coating roll in the manner shown in Fig` 1. The arrangement of the supporting mechanism for the elements as aforedescribed, permits the elements to tilt forwardly in their passage o ver the coating roll inv position to receive the coating material along the lower portion of the forward face thereof, this portion being that which is intended to be exposed in use. In order to preclude the possibility of the clamping fingers opening or releasing their grip upon the elements during the passage thereof over the coating rolls, a cam device 32 is mounted in position to guide the weight 27 onto a curved track 33 so that the weight will be confined in a path which will insure against opening of the clamping fingers -as the elements pass over the coating rolls. The coating device 30 is positioned at a point intermediate the ends of the conveyor system in order to afford opportunity for the elements to hang vertically after they have received the coating material to permit the latter to drain downwardly and accumulate in a layer tapering in thlckness towards the lower or butt edge of the elements and flow around -the latter as well as the side edges and the edges of any tab-defining notches or slots therein, the excess coating material being received in a reservoir 35 extending from the coating device 30 to a point slightly beyond the pulley 22.

the conveyor belt travels around the pulley 22, the clamping fingers, swinging with the shafts 24a assume a position in which the elements gripped thereby are transferred from the vertical or pendent osition to asubstantially horizontal positlon with the lower portion of one element overlappin Athe upper uncoated portion of the succe ing element in the series, this being the position in which the elements are carried forwardly in the upper stretch or return movement of the conveyor belt. In this position also the tendency of the weighted evers 27 to vassume a depending position, will ensure, together with the action of the s rings 26o, firm gripping of the elements by t eclamping fingers. It will be understood of course that the coating roll Will mounted below the conveyor and the supports for the clamping lingers spaced from each other at such suitable distances that the desired portions of the elements will be coated in passing over the roll and that when the thus coated elements are brought to the overlapped position along the upper stretch of the belt, the required transverse or coated area of the successive elements will be exposed with the remaining uncoated areas thereof covered bythe preceding element in the series. At this point mineral surfacing material, such as crushed slate or the like, of any suitable color ma Vbe showered onto the uncoated uncovere areas of the elements as from a hopper 36, whereupon the elements pass beneath press rolls 37 for fixedly securing the surfacing material to the coating layer and causing it to become partially imbedded therein. After passing beyond the press rolls, the elements contmue along their path until they reach the pulley 21 and as the conveyor belt passes around the latter. the weighted levers 27 move throughan arc of substantially 270 from the position which they have during the upper stretch of'movementof the belt to the position during the lower stretch of movement thereof, and during this movement will overcome the action of the springs 260 and thus cause the clamping fingers to be forced open as shown at 38,- thereby releasing the elements, which latter may be received in any convenient collecting receptacle 39.

With certain modifications, the arrangement as thus described may be conveniently adapted for the manufacture of felted fibrous base roofing elements formed along the exposed areas with bulking material to give the elements additional -strength and thickness and to` provide the same also in some instances wit 1 a rough textured surface contour. For this purpose, I provide a conveyor system 40 similar in construction to that previously described, the elements being supported thereby and carried forwardly during the treatment as will now be described. The elements as thus supported are first subjected to a coating treatment as indicated by the stage A, the mechanism 30a, 31a for this treatment being similar to the coating device shown in Figure l. The coating material supplied at this stage to the lower Aportion of one face of the element is adapted to form a binding medium for affixing to the base a bulking medium which is supplied theretoat stage B. This bulking medium ma comprise scraps or fragments of roofing elt or prepared roofing, or any similar relatively large sized scraps or fragments. This bulking materialA may be supplied from a spout 42 onto an upwardly inclined conveyor belt 43 arranged so that the previously coated elements will contact with this bulking material at the upper end of the conveyor 43, and pick up the same by the adhesive nature of the coating material. The elements with the bulking fragments or scraps adhering thereto, and as indicated at B in Figure 3, then pass through another coating stage C wherein coating material is applied over the layer of bulking material in any convenient way, as for example, by a coating roll 31|?) similar to the coating rolls previously described. At C 1n Figure 3, is indicated the appearance of the element after it has passed'throilgh the coating stage C in Figure 2. After the elements have rcceived the second coating layer at stage C, they are then caused to assume, substantially in the manner shown in Figure 1, a position in which the elements are arrangedsubstantially horizontal and in partially overlapping relation, with the coated portions uncovered and in position to receive mineral surfacing material of any desired character t as from hoppers 36a and 366, at stage D, the

mineral surfacing being pressed into and l partially imbedded in the second coating layer by the press rolls 37a and 37b. After this surfacing treatment, and when the elements reach the opposite end of the conveyor, they are released rom the clamping fingers precisely in the manner described in' conjunction with Figure 1.

Havin thus described my invention, it will be mani est that numerous variations and changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In the method of producing roofing,

the steps which comprise suspending a .se`

ries of precut roofing elements in vertical position, applying waterproof adhesive coat- Ving material to the lower portion of a face of each of said elements in succession, allowing said elements to hang in substantially vertical position to permit said coatmg material to drain downwardly and form into a taplering layer increasing in thickness toward t e free lower edge thereof, arranging the successive elements in the series in overlapped relation with the lower portion of each element covering the upper uncoated portion of the succeeding element in the series, and while the elements are thus arranged appl ing comminuted surfacing material to t e luncovered coated portions thereof.

3. In the method of producing roofing, the steps which comprise swingably gripplng a series of precut roofing elements in substantially vertical position, bringing a portion of one face of each of said elements into contact with a moving film of waterproof Aadhesive coating material whereby to transfer the latter to said portions of the elements in succession, arranging the 4successive elements in the series in overlapped relation with the lower portion of each element covering the upper uncoated portion of the succeeding element in the series and while the elements are thus arranged, applying comminuted surfacing material to the uncovered coated 4portions thereof..

los

4. In a method of producing roofing, thel hesive coating material to t e lower portion of a face of each of said elements in succession, arranging the successive elements 1n the series in overlapped relation with the lower portion of each element covering the upper uncoated portion of the succeeding element inthe series and while the elements are thus arranged, applying comminuted surfacing material to the uncovered coated portions thereof.

5. In a method of producing roofing, the steps which comprise gripping a series of precut elements along one edge thereof and supporting the same in a freely swingable depending position, applying waterproof ad# hesive coating material tothe lower portion of aface of each of said elements in succession, allowing said elements to hang in substantially verticalv position to permit said coating material to drain downwardly and form into a tapering layer increasing in thickness toward the free lower edge thereof, arranging the successive elements in the series while gripped in overlapped relation with the lower portion of each element covering the upper uncoated portion of the succeeding element in the series and while the elements are thus arranged, applying com- 4 minuted surfacing material to the uncovered coated portions thereof.

6. In a method of producing roofing, the steps which comprise supporting a serles of precut elements for movement through a definite path, applying waterproof adhesive material to the lower portion of a face of each of said elements in succession, bringing the coated areas of said elements into contact with a movable bed of fibrous fragments to form a bulking layer on said coated portions, applying waterproof adhesive coating materlal over said bulked areas to cover the tact with a movable bed of fibrous fragments to form a bulking layer on said coated por tions, applying waterproof adhesive coating material over said bulked areas to cover the fragments composing the same, arranging the successive elements in the series in overlapped relation with the lower portion ofl each element covering the uncoated portion of the succeeding element in the series and while the elements are thus arranged, partially imbedding granular mineral surfac.

ing material in said last named coating.

8. In the method of producing rooting, the steps which comprise suspending a series of pre-cut rooting elements in spaced relation, applying waterproof adhesive to a face of each of said elements, then arranging the ele- 

